Stakeholder Participation in Wildlife Management: Adapting the Nominal Group Technique in Developing Countries for Participants with Low Literacy

Participatory methods for people with diverse literacy levels are needed for community-based wildlife conservation, particularly in developing countries. The Nominal Group Technique was adapted for 55 illiterate and semi-literate attendees across 10 stakeholder meetings with rural populations in Kenya. Ranking cards with different colors, sizes, and symbols were used concomitant with research assistants to engage community members and prioritize ideas. This Adapted Nominal Group Technique elicited 544 ideas in response to four discussion and ranking questions. This process facilitated participation by individuals with low literacy and those with low levels of formal education. This led to inclusive planning for community projects. This Adapted Nominal Group Technique appears to be promising for application in other developing country settings for rapid exploratory data collection.     

Ingestion,digestion, growth and survival of green mussel Perna viridis pediveliger larvae fed different microalgae

Fisheries Science - Nutrition plays a critical role in the growth and development of green mussel Perna viridis larvae. In this study, three species of tropical microalgae were investigated to...     

Mechanical and electrical properties of photocured jute fabric with 2-hydroxy ethylacrylate

Jute fabric (hessian cloth) was grafted with 2-hydroxy ethylacrylate (HEA) and aliphatic urethane diacrylate oligomer (M-1200) under UV radiation at different intensities (16, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 pass) in order to improve the mechanical and electrical properties. The concentrations of the monomer (HEA), and oligomer (M1200), radiation dose, and soaking time were optimized with respect to mechanical property such as tensile strength (TS) of the treated and untreated hessian cloth. The 73 % HEA, 25 % oligomer (M-1200) and 2 % photoinitiator (Darocur-1116) in 1 minute soaking time showed the highest TS at 50th UV pass. The electrical properties such as dielectric constant and loss tangent of both treated and untreated sample were measured at frequency 10 kHz with the variation of temperature. It was observed that dielectric constant and loss tangent increased with increasing temperature up to the transition temperature and then decreased.     

Lessons from extension activity related to cotton rotation impacts on soil—A scientist's perspective

The role of microbiology in soil carbon and nutrient cycling under cotton systems has been the focus of our recent work; however, reporting is no longer just an exercise in journal publication and reporting to funders. Extension now has to incorporate funders, farmers, students, teachers and the general public. This results in one message being told many times in different ways, but raises questions regarding the best means of delivery, the preferred method of reception and the gathering and interpretation of audience feedback. This paper reviews our efforts to date across three main extension formats: printed material, digital material (including social media) and direct connections. Analyses indicate that no single method satisfies every potential audience and that some audiences want variety in their extension material formats. To meet this requirement, teams need to be familiar with several extension platforms, identify the key people that audiences look to for information so that the message is heard and assistance asked for from extension professionals when needed.     

Probing protein electrostatics with a synthetic fluorescent amino acid

Electrostatics affect virtually all aspects of protein structure and activity and are particularly important in proteins whose primary function is to stabilize charge. Here we introduce a fluorescent amino acid, Aladan, which can probe the electrostatic character of a protein at multiple sites. Aladan is exceptionally sensitive to the polarity of its surroundings and can be incorporated site-selectively at buried and exposed sites, in both soluble and membrane proteins. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements of Aladan residues at different buried and exposed sites in the B1 domain of protein G suggest that its interior is polar and heterogeneous.     

紫背天葵色素的稳定性及其提取工艺优化

以提高紫背天葵色素提取率为目的，分别以甲醇、乙醇、甲醇与乙醇体积分数各为50%的混合溶剂及蒸馏水作为提取剂进行提取对比试验，分析了紫背天葵色素提取液的稳定性。采用均匀设计，探讨了乙醇浓度、提取温度和提取时间对紫背天葵色素提取率的影响。结果表明：紫背天葵色素溶于甲醇、乙醇、甲醇与乙醇混合溶剂及蒸馏水中，乙醇提取剂对紫背天葵色素的溶解度最大，吸光值最高，提取效果最好；紫背天葵色素提取液随pH的变化而变化，pH≤4.1条件下基本保持鲜艳的紫红色，pH>4.1时色素消退；紫背天葵色素提取液不宜采用含铁锌离子的容器盛装，应置低温或室温避光环境中贮放，加热或高温时易氧化褪色。此外，还对紫背天葵色素乙醇提取的工艺参数进行了优化     

Activity- and mTOR-dependent suppression of Kv1.1 channel mRNA translation in dendrites

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is implicated in synaptic plasticity and local translation in dendrites. We found that the mTOR inhibitor, rapamycin, increased the Kv1.1 voltage-gated potassium channel protein in hippocampal neurons and promoted Kv1.1 surface expression on dendrites without altering its axonal expression. Moreover, endogenous Kv1.1 mRNA was detected in dendrites. Using Kv1.1 fused to the photoconvertible fluorescence protein Kaede as a reporter for local synthesis, we observed Kv1.1 synthesis in dendrites upon inhibition of mTOR or the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor. Thus, synaptic excitation may cause local suppression of dendritic Kv1 channels by reducing their local synthesis.     

Climate change alters fish community size‐structure,requiring adaptive policy targets

Size‐based indicators are used worldwide in research that supports the management of commercially exploited wild fish populations, because of their responsiveness to fishing pressure. Observational and experimental data, however, have highlighted the deeply rooted links between fish size and environmental conditions that can drive additional, interannual changes in these indicators. Here, we have used biogeochemical and mechanistic niche modelling of commercially exploited demersal fish species to project time series to the end of the 21st century for one such indicator, the large fish indicator (LFI), under global CO₂ emissions scenarios. Our modelling results, validated against survey data, suggest that the LFI's previously proposed policy target may be unachievable under future climate change. In turn, our results help to identify what may be achievable policy targets for demersal fish communities experiencing climate change. While fisheries modelling has grown as a science, climate change modelling is seldom used specifically to address policy aims. Studies such as this one can, however, enable a more sustainable exploitation of marine food resources under changes unmanageable by fisheries control. Indeed, such studies can be used to aid resilient policy target setting by taking into account climate‐driven effects on fish community size‐structure.